People will assess governance failure, corruption and favour UDF: KPCC chief

KPCC chief Sunny Joseph emphasizes UDF's focus on Sabarimala and corruption while expressing confidence in winning Kerala's upcoming Assembly elections.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president and Peravur MLA Sunny Joseph said the United Democratic Front (UDF) will make the Sabarimala gold theft case and alleged irregularities linked to Global Ayyappa Sangamam central election issues in the upcoming Assembly election. He accused the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) of shielding the accused and eroding trust in governance.

In an interview to The Hindu, Mr. Joseph alleged that despite a court-monitored investigation into the Sabarimala theft, the accused secured bail without even an interim chargesheet being filed. “This is not just a theft; it involves temple property and public faith. The Supreme Court has observed that even gods are unsafe in Kerala,” he said, adding that the Congress would mobilise public opinion and organise protests on the issue. He further alleged financial irregularities in the government-backed Global Ayyappa Sangamam event and said such controversies, coupled with what he termed as selective targeting of Congress leaders, would be highlighted before voters.

Rejecting Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s charge that the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi were acting as a “B-team” of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Mr. Joseph said the public would not believe the allegation. “It is the Congress under Rahul Gandhi that is leading the fight against the BJP nationally. The BJP’s action against Rahul Gandhi and other leaders shows who their real opponent is,” he said, alleging that the CPI(M) has a tacit understanding with the BJP, citing political development in places such as Palakkad.

The KPCC chief said the UDF’s decision to support leaders who defected from the CPI(M), including G. Sudhakaran, Aisha Potty, T.K. Govindan and V. Kunhikrishnan, would strengthen the coalition. “These are mass leaders with strong grassroots support. Their entry reflects growing dissent within the CPI(M) against its functioning,” he said.

Dismissing concerns of internal dissent within the Congress over granting electoral berth to former CPI(M) leaders, Mr. Joseph said minor issues at the local level would be resolved through dialogue. “The party is united and committed to ensuring their victory,” he added. He also said that the uncertainty surrounding senior Congress leader K. Sudhakaran had been resolved, with the latter actively campaigning and supporting candidates across constituencies.

Mr. Joseph highlighted his development track record over the past 15 years in Peravur, stating that administrative restructuring and infrastructure expansion were among his key achievements. He is taking on the Left Democratic Front’s K.K. Shailaja in the constituency. He said the formation of Iritty taluk was a landmark intervention. “Earlier, the region was part of Thalassery taluk with 48 villages and nearly 10 lakh population, creating severe administrative strain. As chairman of the Taluk Formation Commission, I raised the disparity in the Assembly and helped facilitate the creation of new taluks after consultation with MLAs,” he said, crediting support from the former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.